Grading teachers proves complex with new merit pay system

Controversial new system could put jobs and pay in jeopardy

9:17 PM,
Nov. 21, 2012

Written by

Travis Pillow
Florida Capital Bureau

Like many teachers, Meghan Howell is helping her first-graders track their own progress.

Using Accelerated Reader, they set learning goals, and, with their teacher's guidance, identify areas where they need to improve. She says they often know what their own level is and what books they should read next.

Now, Leon County Schools are developing methods that allow Howell, a second-year teacher at Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of the Arts, to chart her own development, identify areas of weakness, and hone her craft as a teacher. ...